Conformis Launches Next Generation of the Only Patient-specific Bicompartmental Knee Resurfacing System on the Market

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iDuo G2 Provides Less Invasive Alternative to Total Knee Replacement

Burlington, Mass. — November 4, 2010 —Conformis announced today the commercial availability of the iDuo® G2, the next generation of its bicompartmental knee resurfacing system. The iDuo G2 combines the best of both worlds by incorporating proven principles for patella treatment from traditional total knee replacement with the unique advantages of the Conformis partial knee system.

It is estimated that about a third of patients treated for knee osteoarthritis (OA) have disease involving just two out of the three compartments of the knee. The traditional treatment for this bicompartmental disease pattern has been a total knee replacement that removes bone from all three compartments and sacrifices one or both of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), the major stabilizing ligaments of the knee.

The iDuo G2 provides a less invasive alternative to total knee replacement for patients suffering from disease in the medial (inner) or lateral (outer) compartment of the knee, along with the patellofemoral joint (the area behind the kneecap). By targeting just the diseased portions of the joint, the iDuo G2 enables appropriately selected patients to preserve all of their ligaments and far more bone than a traditional total knee replacement.

“With the introduction of the iDuo G2, we have incorporated our latest implant innovations and instrument enhancements into both our iUni and iDuo product lines,” said Philipp Lang, MD, CEO of Conformis. “While the rest of the industry is focused on patient-specific instruments, Conformis continues to break ground on patient-specific approaches to not just the instruments, but also the implants which ultimately create the potential for greater bone preservation, less traumatic surgery, and more natural kinematics.”

The iDuo G2 provides physicians and patients with significant key benefits including an engineered patellofemoral joint to correct deformity, a wear optimized implant design, and improved surgical instrumentation and iView™ planning images for an efficient surgical technique. Many of these enhancements have already received positive surgeon feedback as a part of the iDuo G2 limited release evaluation.

“Considering that nearly one third of joint replacement patients have pain limited to two compartments of their knee, the iDuo G2 is an important expansion to the treatment options surgeons can offer,” said Raj Sinha, MD, PhD, one of the early users for the iDuo G2 and a member of Conformis’ Scientific Advisory Board. “Conformis’ ability to apply surgeon feedback to introduce a second generation of its implant so quickly is a testament to the advantages of their just-in-time model and their dedication to the patient-specific approach.”

Conformis’ patient-specific approach offers an array of advantages to patients, surgeons and hospitals, including a personalized fit and the potential for more natural kinematics, a less traumatic procedure that preserves bone relative to a total knee replacement, a simple reproducible surgical technique and greater operating room efficiencies.

About Conformis, Inc.
Conformis, Inc. is a privately-held company that develops and commercializes medical devices for osteoarthritis treatment and joint damage. Its proprietary intellectual property includes more than 250 patents and patent applications in the areas of imaging software, image processing, implant design, surgical techniques, instrumentation, and manufacturing. Conformis knee implants and instrumentation are designed to address all stages of osteoarthritis, the most common reason forknee replacement surgery. All devices have been cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration for marketing in the US. In 2009, Conformis was named a winner of the Medical Design Excellence Awards, the premier recognition for contributions and advances in the design of medical products, for its iUni and iDuo resurfacing implants. Follow Conformis on Twitter at @Conformis and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Conformis.